Dragons confident Gloucester won't lure their Joneses

NEWPORT Gwent Dragons are confident that coaches Lyn Jones and Kingsley Jones will be at the helm next season after the pair were linked with Gloucester.

It has been reported that the Aviva Premiership side are interested in bringing the management duo to Kingsholm following the sacking of former Wales international Nigel Davies.

The Cherry and Whites are said to have drawn up a shortlist that includes the Dragons' Joneses along with ex-All Blacks coach Wayne Smith, former South Africa and Italy chief Nick Mallett and Newcastle boss Dean Richards.

Director of rugby Lyn won plenty of plaudits for the way that he battled relegation with London Welsh in 2012/13, being nominated for Premiership coach of the year despite failing to beat the drop.

His right-hand man Kingsley captained Gloucester and was among the contenders for the job in 2012.

The Kingsholm job is an attractive one but the Dragons are confident that the pair will stay to finish the rebuilding job that they started when they arrived at Rodney Parade last summer.

"Both Lyn and Kingsley are contracted to us and they have set out their stall in terms of their long-terms plans and aims for the region," said Dragons chief executive Gareth Davies.

"Lyn has frequently talks about turning the Dragons into a serious entity over the next three or four years and I am confident he will do that."

The Cherry and Whites have spent big in recent months to snap up Wales hooker Richard Hibbard, New Zealand tighthead John Afoa and England lock Tom Palmer.

But the Joneses have also been busy in the recruitment market to bring in experienced campaigners to aid in the development of the likes of Hallam Amos, Jack Dixon and Tyler Morgan.

"We planted a lot of seeds in the winter and we are hoping to see the growth over the next 18 to 24 months," said Lyn Jones last week.

He also wrote in his programme notes ahead of the season finale against Treviso that "signing the head coach after signing the playing squad is not always the smartest move".

Davies was sacked by Gloucester on Monday after a hugely disappointing season that saw them finish ninth in the Aviva Premiership (23 points off the playoffs), fail to reach the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup and miss out on qualification for the Rugby Champions Cup.

He was followed out of the door by defence coach and former Wales flanker Paul Moriarty, who was not offered a fresh contract.